Punic Wars
- Series of 3 wars between Rome and Carthage
- 1st war was over the control of Sicily
- 2nd war – when Hannibal became general of Carthage, he wanted to avenge the first defeat. Hannibal attempted a sneak attack through the alps to attack and capture Rome
- 3rd war – Scipio attacked Carthage and Hannibal retreated and fought back at native city.
- Rome defeated Carthage in all 3 of the wars. Each war was harder for the Romans to win.
- War 1 and 2, Rome was on the defensive. War 3 – aggressor.
- Key players – Hannibal (Carthage), Scipio (Rome), and Cincinnatus (Rome)
Lasting effects
- Showed the civilizations in the Mediterranean that Rome was a dominant force
- By 70 BC, Rome had conquered a lot of land around the Mediterranean coast
Roman Republic
- Shortly after their victories in the Punic Wars, the quick and rapid expansion began to hurt the empire.
- The land was going to large estate and the small farmers were not making any money and were out of jobs.
- One of the reasons leading to a civil war.
- Rome was much divided after the death of Caesar.
Avengers of Caesar
- Octavian, Mark Antony, and Lepidus avenged Caesar and became the 2nd triumvirate.
- Even jealousy here, Octavian forced Lepidus to retire his power.
- Mark Antony fell in love with Cleopatra and followed her to Egypt
- Leaving Octavian to be the sole leader.
Augustus
- The term given to Octavian meaning “exalted one”
- Rome was at the peak of its power and at peace throughout Augustus’s Rule and even to 180 AD
- Pax Romana – “Roman Peace”
Roman Trade
- Most common trade items: beef, corn, glassware, iron, lead, leather, marble, olive oil, perfumes, purple dye, silk, silver, spices, timber, tin and wine.
- Main trading partners: Spain, France, the Middle East, and North Africa
- Made trade very simple by only using 1 form of currency
- They used the tiber river, Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea for a trading route.
- Manufacturing of goods increased in the empire’s cities, and many opportunities for commerce existed. Rome became one of the empire’s greatest commercial centers.
- Two-way trade routes extended to other commercial centers in lands as far away as Egypt, Germany, and China.
- The empire’s location around the Mediterranean Sea helped make all this commercial activity possible.
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